Aaron Bushnell, who died last month, ‘sacrificed everything’ for Palestinians, says mayor of Jericho

Aaron Bushnell, who died last month, ‘sacrificed everything’ for Palestinians, says mayor of Jericho

A few of the initial paragraphs for context follow - but the article is worth reading fully:

The Palestinian town of Jericho has named a street after Aaron Bushnell, the US air force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest against the war in Gaza.

The 25-year-old, who died on 25 February, “sacrificed everything” for Palestinians, said the mayor of Jericho, Abdul Karim Sidr, as the street sign was unveiled on Sunday.

“We didn’t know him, and he didn’t know us. There were no social, economic or political ties between us. What we share is a love for freedom and a desire to stand against these attacks [on Gaza],” the mayor told a small crowd gathered on the new Aaron Bushnell Road.

Bushnell livestreamed his self-immolation on the social media platform Twitch, declaring he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” and shouting “free Palestine” as he started the fire. Law enforcement officials put out the flames, but he died in hospital several hours later.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 31,000 people, the majority of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The war was triggered by the cross border attack on 7 October when Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 250 people.

Even as governments in Europe and the US have largely continued to back Israel’s campaign in Gaza as part of the country’s right to self-defence, Palestinians have taken heart from popular protests held from Michigan to Madrid.

  • @FiniteBanjoEnglish
    1•3 months ago

    Only 9 countries opposed the UN Resolution on Gaza in December:

    Austria
Czechia
Guatemala
Liberia
Micronesia
Nauru
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
USA
    • @Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      -2•3 months ago

      Yes because it started becoming severely unpopular. Check how many were opposing it before that.

      Also many countries such as Germany and Canada are still sending israel weapons for Genocide.

      • @FiniteBanjoEnglish
        2•3 months ago

        Cool so we agreed you lied.

        “In fact most Western countries with “liberal” parties still support israel.”

        • @Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldEnglish
          -2•3 months ago

          Sending weapons to a country actively committing Genocide does mean they support them.

          Voting for a ceasefire full well knowing the US will veto it changes nothing.